God made it clear we were to fast in this moment.
We are asking you to join us in a 24 hour fast from Thursday evening after dinner, until Friday dinner.
I think fasting is the most misunderstood ancient practice in the Christian church today.
A lot of us get to the end of our ropes and think 'well I guess I'll fast and then God will have to do something'. But fasting is not an instrument of manipulation to force God into giving us our own way. Fasting is our hearts RESPONSE to what breaks God's heart!
Fasting is our body joining with our soul to cry out to God in response to disaster, lack of love or holiness or compassion, the impoverished in the world, sin, death, or the absence of justice or peace or love. Fasting is our bodies NATURAL response to 'grievous sacred moments' in life.
In America we tend to separate our bodies from our spirit, and that's just not how we were created.
I love how Scot McKnight puts it in his book FASTING.
"We will fast because we will sense God's response to the very conditions around us, and it will lead us to join in the good work of God... and joining God is all we really wanted anyway"
I was reading Esther this morning at the suggestion of a dear friend. What stood out to me was that God could have had the king summons Esther, instead of having her go to him at the risk of her own life. Her fear would have disappeared, and the outcome would have been the same. But God waited. He allowed His people to mourn and fast and weep and wail. I bet if you could ask them if they would have preferred for God to come in and save the day immediately, without their hearts breaking, they would say- NO WAY!
Weeping at the foot of a Savior who understands is life changing.
What a beautiful thing to approach the throne of God as a whole being, crying out for the ones that He loves! And truth be told- joining God is all we really wanted anyway!
7 comments:
I am with you!
Praying and fasting those kids home!
Jill
www.campfunk.blogspot.com
Thanks for that beautiful clarification Lyndsay.
We will be praying and fasting, along with many friends and family. Thank you for taking the lead!
Mollie
www.pagefamilyjourney.blogspot.com
I'm with you on this! Posting it to my blog too.
I linked over to your blog for the first time ever from Rebecca Winter's blog. It's amazing to me that God's timing is always so perfect. I have had an awful week spinning around me and yet, in my frustration and anxiety, I had forgotten the beauty of connecting my body and spirit in partnership with what God is doing!I am joining with you and will link this on my blog for others as well!!
This brings tears to my eyes. I am a fellow Gladney mom waiting, and will join with you in fasting! Thank you, thank you... this is exactly what is needed. So glad I found you here, would love to connect more with you! Grace, Kerry
Found this post through a friend's link. We are joining you! We too are caught up in the court hold ups and are waiting to bring our two girls home.
Meggan
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